Three white wines from Germany, Portugal and Italy

 The first white wine is the wine Alvarinho Contacto from producer Anselmo Mendes i Portugal. It is a Vinho Verde from the subregion Moncao and Melgaco. It is made from the grape Alvarinho which is grown in the north of Portugal. The vintage is 2020 and the ABV 12,5%. I get a lot of fruit in this wine. Pear, green apple and some tropical fruit with some minerality, honey and lime. A good wine but lacks some acidity to take it to another level.

The white wine from Germany is the Grauburgunder Gutswein from producer Wagner Stempel in the region of Rheinhessen. The vintage is 2019 and the ABV 12%. The grape is Grauburgunder which is also known as Pinot Grigio or Pinot Gris. This wine has a lovely fresh taste of apple, minerals and citrus. A very good expression of the grape Grauburgunder.

The last wine is from Italy. It is the Bonea from producer Masseria Frattasi in Campania. The grape is Falanghina and the DOP is Taburno Sannino. The vintage is 2018 and the ABV 12,5%. In the taste melon, honey and papaya and everything is very nicely integrated. Good.

Agliancio and Falanghina from Fattoria Pagano

Fattoria Pagano is a producer in Campania in Italy. The vineyard is situated in the area of Casale di Carniola in the sout of Campania. The company was founded by in 2001 by Antonio Pagano. The vineyards are situated on a height of 270-300 meters above sealevel and the soil is old volcanic soil.

The first wine is a young Falanghina wine from 2019. It is made of 100% Falanghina grapes which is a white grape that is common in Campania. Before being bottled it has been aged two months in steel vats. In the taste I get apple, pear, grapefruit and some minerals. A nice good Falanghina which is very easy drinking and is perfect for an aperitivo or together with fish or spicy food.

The second wine is a bit more mature. It is an Aglianico from 2017 made from 100% Aglianico grapes. Agliancio I have talked about in my previous posts and it is the red wine grape of southern Italy. This wine has been aged 6 months in steel vats and then 10 months on the bottle before being sold. One year ago I tasted the same vintage so it will be interesting to see how it has changed. In the taste I get cherry, black currants and with big powerful tannins. One more year of storage has integrated the flavours in the wine and I think one more year would make this wine even better.

 

Feudi Di San Gregorio part 3

For the last part on Feudi Di San Gregorio I will focus on one Aglianico wine from them. The wine is Dal Re and is made from 100% Aglianico which is considered one of great red wine grapes of Italy. It is mostly grown in Southern Italy because Aglianico needs a long maturing period and is normally picked in November which is quite late for a grape. This grape tends to do well in Volcanic soils which can be found in Campania and Basilicata.  The Dal Re is an Irpinia Aglianico DOC wine. It is aged six months in French barriques and the rest of the time in stainless steel vats. Before being sold it is then aged six months in the bottle. This wine is part of their more exclusive line for the best restaurants and wine bars. The vintage is 2016 and the ABV is 13,5%.

The taste is of black currants, coffee, blackberry, dark cherry and nicely integrated tannins. A very good wine. Feudi Di San Gregorio is a big producer in Campania and they know how to produce good wines and I love that they focus on the indigenous grapes of Campania.

 

Feudi Di San Gregorio part 2

For the part two of Feudi Di San Gregorio I will try two wines, one Greco Di Tufo and one Sirica wine. First up is the Greco Di Tufo wine. It is a white wine and the name Greco says that the grape is the Greco grape. Many times one also use Greco Bianco to differentiate it from Greco Nero, but the Greco di Tufo is an area of growing only the white Greco grape in Campania. The name Tufo comes from a rock formed by volcanic ash. The Greco Di Tufo from Feudi Di San Gregorio contains 100% Greco grapes and the vintage is 2018. It is stored for 4-6 months in steel tanks before being bottled. This is a very elegant wine. A taste if minerals, apple and grapefruit. Very good and I think that this wine can be stored for a couple of more years to bring out some extra flavours but it is good to drink now.

Next wine is the Sirica red wine from 2015. Sirica is a rare grape from Campania. In 2005 Feudi di San Gregorio found three very old, tree-sized vines in an Aglianico vineyard in Taurasi. They weren’t Aglianico, it was a mystery, until DNA analysis established that these were descendants of Sirica – the only ones known so far. Now Feudi Di San Gregorio has three hectars of Sirica growing. So a quite rare wine. This wine has been aged for 12 months in french barriques of medium toast. This is a very well integrated wine with a taste of blueberry, plum, cherry and some tannins rounding out the wine. A very good wine yet again and a very interesting wine, Reminds me of Teroldego which is a relative of this grape.

Feudi Di San Gergorio, part 1

This will be the first blogpost on the wines of Feudi Di San Gregorio. Feudi Di San Gregorio is a wine producer from Campania in Italy. They are situated in the area known as Irpinia which is the old historical name of Province of Avellino. This area is divided into Taurusi, Greco Di Tufo and Fiano Di Avellino. All area that are famous for their wine production.

The Feudi Di San Gregorio was founded in 1986 by two Irpinian families. This winery has focused on quality production and also on the native grapes of Campania such as Falanghina, Greco and Aglianico. They are quite big with 300 hectars of vineyards. For this part, I will try two wines one white and one red.

The Albente wine from 2019 is made of the white grape Falanghina. Falanghina is a grape that went almost extinct but has made a big comeback in recent years. The wine is stored for four months in steel tanks before being bottled. The taste is of pear, tropical fruits and citrus. It is very fresh and aromatic and is very good. Goes very well with fish due toe the acidity.

The Trigaio wine from 2018 is made of 100% Aglianico grape. I will write more about this grape in the next part but this red grape is one of the famous grapes of South Italy. Also this wine has been aged for four months in steel tanks before being bottled. On the nose I get a nice red fruit smell.  In the taste I get black currant, plums and some sour cherry. A bit lighter Aglianico with a lot of fruit character. Nice.

Amarone vs Taurausi

Amarone and Taurasui are two heavy hitters of red wine from Italy. Although Amarone is the most famous of them, while the Taurausi is not that well known.

Amarone is a red wine from Valpolicella in Italy that is made from partially dried grapes from grape varieties such as Corvina and Rondinella. It is very famous and popular in Sweden and is known to be very strong. The Amarone that i have tasted is from producer Cadis and has the vintage 2014. The ABV is 14,5%. It is a nice balanced Amarone. In the taste I get black currant, leather and some earthy notes with a nice aftertaste. Not as super strong as I thought it would be but it is a more balanced Amarone.

Taurasi is a red wine made from Aglianico grapes in the Campania region of Italy. It is not so famous. Taurasi wines must be aged for three years before being sold and of this time at least 12 months must be in oak. For the Taurasi from producer Feudi di San Gregori the it has been aged for 18 months in French barriques. I bought this bottle five years ago and the vintage is 2009. I remember that I thought it was a very strong wine suitable for ageing so it will be interesting to see how the wine has developed over the years. Still powerful but age has given it more complex flavours. Red fruits on the nose.  In the taste black currants, tobacco and some sour cherry. Feels like a mix beween a Brunello and a Sagrantino di Montefalco. Excellent. And it has been nice to follow this vintage over several years now.

Sedura from Donnafgata and two other red wines from Italy

Finally I have found a different wine from Donnafugata which is not usually available and it is the wine La Bella Sedara.  The ABV is 13,5% and the vintage is 2017. This wine is made from several different grapes with the main grape being Nero D'Avola blended together with Cabernet Sauvigno, Merlot and Syrah.In the taste I get black currant, cherry and some spices and black peppar. A very nice easy drinking wine.

The wine Aglianico is from the producer Fattoria Pagano in Campania. It is made from 100% Aglianico grapes. The vintage is 2017 and the ABv is 14%. The vineyard lies at 270-300 meters above sea level in Casale Carniola in Campania. The taste is of black currant and plum with some tannins which some are a bit unripe. It is a decent wine which gets much better when paired with spicy food.

The last red wine is from the producer Bepin De Eto in Veneto. I have tasted the wine Cabernet earlier and still my thought is that it is a decent wine but I prefer the other red wines from Bepin De Eto which in my mind are better.

A white wine from Aglianico, by Mastroberardino

Aglianico is a red wine grape that is used for example for the mighty Taurausi wines from Campania in Italy. However, Mastroberardino has made a white wine called Neroameta from Aglianico. So that is one wine that I had to taste. The vintage is 2017 and the ABV is 13%.
The colour is very light. In the taste is apples and some pear with citrus and some flowers. Very fresh and crisp. A very nice and good white wine. Reminds me of a very good Verdicchio.

Next up is the producer Ca dei Frati and the wine I Frati Lugano, it is made of a local variant of the grape Verdicchio. The vintage is 2017 and the ABV 13,5%. I get gooseberries on the nose. In the taste I get minerals with some citrus and pear in the taste. A very good wine.

Campania to Tuscany

The first wine is a white wine from Campania. It is made of 100% Greco grapes. It is called Greco di Tufo since it is made in the DOGC area Greco di Tufo around the town of Tufo. It is called Iovine and the vintage is 2016. The ABV is 13%. The taste is of pears and minerals. The aftertaste is long and fresh. This wine I like a lot.

Next wine is a red wine from Tuscany. Rendola is made from 100% Sangiovese, ABV is 13,5% and the vintage is 2015. The taste is of plums and cherries with a well integrated softer tannins. Very good wine and is not as heavy as I thought it would be.  A perfect food wine.

Tasting A Taurasui from Feudi San Gregorio again

In September 2014 I tasted my last Taurasi from Feudi San Gregorio and at that time I bought several bottles and laid them in storage. Unfortunately the one I tasted were from 2008 while the one I bought some time later were from 2009. So how has the 2009 vintage aged? Lets try it but before some info about the Taurasi.

Taurasi is always made by 100% Aglianico grapes. The wine has matured in 18 months in medium-toasted French barriques and finally minimum nine months in the bottle before being sold.

The colour is very dark. In the nose I can feel vanilla and dark fruits. The taste is of dark cherries and liquorice. The tannins are good structured. When comparing it to the 2008 I think the two extra years of aging has softened the tannins a bit making this wine more elegant. An excellent wine. The last bottle that I will be stored for two more years before drinking.

Mastroberardino, older white wine from 2007

Old white wine is very rare. I have only drank old white wine from France.  Mastroberardino is a producer from Italy that produces older white wine. They have old wine from the grapes Fiano and Greco di Tufo. I managed to buy a bottle of their Greco di Tufo wine from 2007. It is made of 100% Greco di Tufo grapes and it is from the Greco di Tufo DOGC in Campania. All grapes are from the estates of Tufo and Petruro Irpino at heights of 450meters. The wine was refined for nine months in steel tanks before being bottled for at least four years before being sold. 

The colour is straw yellow. I can smell fruit and dried fruits. The taste is quite intense with a taste of fruits and dried fruits. Sometimes it almost feels like a dry passito wine. Very interesting and I have never tasted anything like this before. I don't think this wine is for everyone as it may be to intense. Now if I can find their Fiano wine also.

 

Planeta and Candido from southern Italy

Chardonnay is a grape that grown all over the world but producer Planeta in Sicily has been doing a Chardonnay that should be unmistakeably Sicilian. The vintage 2013 has a taste of apricots, citrus and some tropical fruit notes. Planeta continues to produce quality wine year after year.

Fiano is a grape grown in southern Italy, primarily in the Campania region. The wine Tenuta Marini is 100% made of Fiano by producer Candido of vintage 2014. The taste is very aromatic and taste is apple and apricots. A good wine.

From one volcano to another

There is many good wine in Italy produced near Volcanoes. Etna is a volcano in Sicily and a grape that is grown there is the grape Carricante. The wine from this grape reminds me of Riesling wines. The wine Le Sabbie Dell'Etna from producer Firriato contains the grapes Carricante and Catarratto. It seem that Caricante gives that wine structure and minerality while the Catarratto gives it freshness. A very good wine and I like very much.

The wine Falanghina Del Sanno is produced by Lorenzo Nifo Sarrapochiello. This area is situated approximately 30 km from the volcano Vesuvio. It is made 100% of the grape Falanghina and this grape is mostly grown in the Campania region in Italy. It is quite strong with a taste of of tropical fruits, nectarines and citrus. It has a quite long finish. I like it and it would go very well with seafood.

Falanghina

Recently I have tried two white wines made with the grape Falanghina. This grape is is an old ancient Italian grape and is mostly cultivated along the coast of Campania. The first wine is from producer Dodocettari and is called Falanghina 5. THis wine has character and it feels very fresh. The second wine I have drank is called Falanghina by producer Corte Normanna. Also very good and fresh. It seems that with this grape that it is hard to go wrong.

Finally I travel to the Venoto area for a good Prosecco. This prosecco is from producer Vinironia. It is a very elegant prosecco. With apples, citrus and minerals. Excellent to drink on its own or together with lighter food.

From Campania to Tuscany

Mastroberardino is a famous producer in Campani. They are known for their red Taurasi wine and also for preserving ancient grapes. Finally I have had the chance to try their Taurasi wine called Radici from 2009. This wine is made of 100% Aglianico grapes and is from the Taurasi DOGC. The colour is very dark ruby. The smell is very strong. The taste is intense and very strong. Definately a food wine. Very good.

Further north in Tuscany the grape Vermentino is popular and it gives very good wines. I have tasted the wine Litorale by producer Val Delle Rose.  It is a very good Vermentino wine. Light but still fresh and excellent when served chilled.

Rubrato from Campania

Aglianico is a grape grown mostly in Campania and is used to make wines like the Taurasi. It is a very important grape in this region and in previous times it was shipped northwards in Italy to augment "weaker" red wines, the so called "wine railroad".
The wine Rubrato Aglianico from 2012 by producer Feudi Di San Gregorio in Campania is made by 100% Aglianico grapes. This wine is from the Irpinia Aglianico DOC. The colour of the wine is very dark. The taste is of black currant and dark cherries, it is very strong and leaves a long after-taste. This wine needed to breath before drinking. When drinking it at once it showed to be very closed and after twenty minutes it had reached it full potential. Like the Aglianico wines I have drunk previously it need some time in the glass before drinking. Yet another good wine from Feudi Di San Gregorio.

I tried the producer Peter Semmers Chardonnay a couple of months ago and this time I had the chance to they Peter Semmers Pinot Grigio from 2013. This one is better than the Chardonnay. Taste like what a Pinot Grigio should taste like and is a good wine. Yet another good wine from Alto Adige.

From south to north

The grape greco is used to produce the wine wine DOGC Greco di Tufo in Campania in southern Italy. One producer from Campania is Feudi di San Gregorio. I have tasted their Taurasi before but now it is time for their white wine Greco di Tufo from 2013. It is a strong wine but very well tasting. Notes of apples, pears and minerals. Very good and can be probably stored for a couple of more years before drinking.

Going north we have the Soave region and this time I taste to the big producer Masi and their white wine Levarie Soave. This wine is also from 2013. The taste is  fresh, pears and some citrus. A decent wine.

Birthday and good wines

When it is time for my birthday it is always nice to celebrate it with good food and wines. This year the food was four cheeses from Italy, a tuscan brasato and a lemon meringue pie.

The first wine of the day were a Rotari Millesimato from 1999. This sparkling wine has character and tasted of citrus and bread. A strong vintage that worked very well with the cheeses. Next wine up was a Taurasi from 2003 from producer Di Prisco in Campania. Has a misfortune with the cork but after some struggle I could decant the wine. It is interesting how the older wines change their character with decanting. Just poured into the container it tasted very closed and not that good. But after an hour it had completely changed character. Now it was very elegant with notes of tobacco and liquorice. Very good. To finish the evening off were the sweet wine Kabir from island Pantelleria from producer Donnafugata. As usual one can through the smell say that this wine is from Pantelleria. Very good and full of flavour. Since this was from 2010 it didn't have the strong perfume tones of the 2012 vintage.

Lacrimarosa, or is it tears of joy?

One producer in Campania that I have wanted to try is Mastroberardino, however their wines are hard to get in Sweden unless one wants to buy six bottles. But I found their rose wine Lacrimarosa and I bought a bottle. The colour of this rose is very beautiful. Almost like the colour of a red grape. The taste is complex and is the best rose wine that I have tasted. The taste is of red currants, blood grape and some herbs. Not an easy drinking wine but a wine for food.

A region in Italy that I don't drink that much from is Liguria, but the white wine Vinodamare from the DOC Colli di Luni has found it self into my hands. The grape is vermentino and it is from 2012. The colour is very deep yellow shifting into orange. The taste is very strong and a good wine for seafood.

From Sardina to Campania

Sardinia is a place I want to visit someday and until then I have to do with Sardinian pecorino and their wine. A wine that I tasted were the white wine Samas by producer Agricola Punica. The Samas wine is a Isola dei Nuraghi IGT (Indicazione Geografica Tipica). It is of vintage 2013 and contains 80% vermentino and 20% chardonnay. It has a yellow tinged colour and has a very fresh aroma. The taste is very fresh and a bit fruity character with ripe pears and some citrus.

For the second time I had the chance to try the grape Fiano and the producer is the old acquaintance Terredora. The wine is Fiano di Avellino which is also a DOGC and the vintage is 2013. The aroma is strong and the colour is pale straw yellow. The taste is also very strong with a big hit of acid and citrus. Some fruit notes and honey. This wine would be lovely together with sea food. I can imagine myself sitting by the coast drinking this wine with local fish in Campania. I think this wine will store well for a couple of years also due to its strength.